WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/TPR/M/153 
1 December 2005 
 (05-5693) 
Trade Policy Review Body 
12 and 14 October 2005  
 
 
 
TRADE POLICY REVIEW 
 
REPUBLIC OF GUINEA 
 
Minutes of Meeting  
 
Chairperson:  HE Mr Don Stephenson (Canada) 
 
   Page 
 
I.
 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 3  
II. OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF 
THE REPUBLIC OF GUINEA 4  
III. STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT 5  
IV. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 7  
V. REPLIES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF GUINEA  AND ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 12
 
VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 15  
 
 
Note:   Advance written questions by WTO Memb ers and the replies provided by the Republic of 
Guinea are reproduced in document WT/TPR/M/153/Add.1 and will be available online at 
http://www.wto.org/english/tr atop_e/tpr_e/tp_rep_e.htm.  
   WT/TPR/M/153 
 Page 3 
 
 
 I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 
1. In opening the meeting on the second review of the trade policy of the Republic of Guinea, 
held on 12 and 14 October 2005, the Chair welcomed th e delegation of the Republic of Guinea, led by 
HE Mrs Hadja Djènè Saran Camara, Minister fo r Trade, Industry and SMEs, and the discussant, 
Mr Azzeddine Farhane, chargé d' affaires at the Permanent Mission  of the Kingdom of Morocco.  As 
customary, the discussant spoke in a personal capacity and not as a representative of his country.  In 
accordance with established rules, he had made avai lable in advance the main issues he intended to 
raise (document WT/TPR/D/129). 
2. The Chair recalled the purpose of the Trad e Policy Review mechanism and the main 
procedural aspects of the meeting.  The report by the Government of Guinea had been circulated as 
document WT/TPR/G/153 and that of the WTO Secretariat as document WT/TPR/S/153.  The 
delegation of the Republic of Guinea had receive d copies of the written questions submitted in 
advance by Japan, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Brazil and the Republic of Korea.  
Where it was not possible to respond fully during the meeting, additional written replies would be 
transmitted subsequently.  These questions and the re plies given by the delegation of the Republic of 
Guinea appear in document WT/TPR/M/153/Add.1. 
3. The Chair indicated that the reports had highl ighted the general improvement in the trade 
regime of Guinea, a least developed country (LDC), si nce the first review of its trade policy in 1999.  
In 2005, Guinea had embarked upon a tariff reform that  had unified and simplified customs tariffs and 
had also shown the Guinean author ities' commitment to subregional economic integration within the 
ECOWAS.  Macroeconomic balances had deterior ated, however, and in early 2005 the Guinean 
authorities had adopted certain measures to overcome the economic crisis.  The liberalization of the 
foreign exchange market in March 2005 should rest ore the competitiveness of Guinea's products on 
global markets.  Those efforts had led to the a doption of a programme monitored by the IMF that 
should ultimately lead to full resumption of inte rnational cooperation, wh ich provided vital support 
for the Poverty Reduction Strategy adopted by Guinea in 2002.  In 2004, Guinea's external debt 
reached almost 100 per cent of GDP, laying a heavy burden on the economy. 
4. Guinea had vast reserves of bauxite and resour ces of precious minerals, a climate conducive 
to agriculture and a coastline, but had not yet seen its economy take off.  There was a large informal 
sector in the economy, extending beyond subsis tence agriculture, which did not make any 
contribution towards fiscal revenue.  The manufact uring sector was in the early stages, hampered, 
inter alia , by electricity supply problems.  Foreign investors were primarily attracted by the mining 
sector and exported their output without any on-the- spot processing.  Consequently, Guinea was still 
almost totally dependent on exports of mining pr oducts.  The business environment needed to be 
strengthened, particularly through better gove rnance, which remained a major challenge. 
5. Guinea had participated in the WTO's activities,  notably the Ministerial Conferences in Doha 
and Cancún.  The authorities supported the sectoral initiative on cotton, a crop that was expanding in 
Guinea.  Trade-related technical assistance had been  provided, under the Integrated Framework in 
particular, but further assistance was sought in orde r to move ahead on topics such as notifications, 
understanding of the obligations incumbent upon WTO members and the challenges of the Doha 
Agenda.  The TPRB meeting would enable WTO Member s better to target their action in favour of 
Guinea’s closer integr ation into the multilateral trading system. WT/TPR/M/153 
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 II. OPENING STATEMENT BY THE REPRES ENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF 
GUINEA 
6. The representative of the Republic of Guinea
 said that the second review gave her an 
opportunity to present her country's new trade polic y within the framework of the Poverty Reduction 
Strategy Paper (PRSP) and in continuation of the structural reforms implemented by Guinea since 
1986.  Notwithstanding those efforts, Guinea had been facing a serious economic crisis since 2000 
that had considerably worsened the major macroeco nomic balances and had exacerbated the deficit in 
the State's financial transactions, as well as causing a sharp rise in arrears of internal and external 
payments. 
7. The main cause of the crisis had been external  factors such as the continued deterioration in 
the terms of trade, the unstable security situatio n and the burden of refugees, the total absence of 
external support for a number of years, the lack of foreign currency needed to finance its import 
requirements, together with the major energy cris is, which had led to a sharp downturn in Guinea's 
economic activities.  Guinea’s exports, like those of other LDCs, remained vulnerable and were 
characterized by:  (i) high concentration on so me mining and agricultural products, which were 
particularly sensitive to price fluctuations on the in ternational market;  (ii) a quality/price ratio that 
was not particularly favourable to agricultura l products;  and (iii) extremely limited production 
capacity in comparison with demand and oppor tunities on foreign markets (subregional and 
international). 
8. The authorities had been engaged in an econom ic recovery process since 2002.  Under the 
Integrated Framework, a Diagnostic Trade Integra tion Study (DTIS), together with a matrix of 
priority actions, had been completed and their inco rporation into the PSRP was well under way.  As a 
result, the series of constraints to be removed had been identified and solutions proposed with a view 
to promoting and developing Guinea's exports.  They were also valuable tools in mobilizing national 
and international financial resources. 
9. Three priority projects had been adopted for Guinea on "strengthening Guinea's capacity to 
negotiate with a view to enhanci ng its participation in the multilateral trading system, institutional 
support for export development and promoting ag ricultural exports with high poverty reduction 
potential".  These had started to be implemented in June 2004.  The European Union had also 
undertaken to finance two other projects:  (i) th e transition of the Guinean customs to the new 
"ASYCUDA ++" system;  and (ii) improving security in the Autonomous Port of Conakry in order to 
bring it into line with the new security regulations  in the International Ship and Port Facility 
Security (ISPS) Code, which came into effect on 1 July 2004. 
10. Among future priorities, Guinea would like to receive technical, material and financial 
support from the international community to allow to achieve the new trade policy objectives it had 
set very rapidly, namely:  (i) qualifying the exer cise of commercial professions, with the ultimate aim 
of reducing the size of the informal sector and est ablishing healthy and fair competition profitable to 
all parties;  (ii) developing exports that are highly competitive on the international market;  and 
(iii) increasing Guinea’s participation in the WTO’s activities. 
11. Guinea was convinced that the ru le-based multilateral trading sy stem could help to develop 
all countries.  It would give meaning to the part nership that the WTO had created among its Members, 
based on frank and constructive, open and friendly dialogue, in the service of a common cause.  WT/TPR/M/153 
 Page 5 
 
 
 III. STATEMENT BY THE DISCUSSANT 
12. The discussant  focused his remarks on three topics:  (i ) the economic environment;  (ii) trade 
policy;  and (iii) sectoral policies. 
(i) Economic environment 
13. The discussant emphasized that Guinea had continued to implement the reforms undertaken 
since 1986 under the various structural adjustme nt programmes with the aim of overcoming the 
country's economic crisis.  Guinea had implemente d its macroeconomic stabilization programme, as 
defined in the PRSP.  The average annual rate of growth in the GDP over the period 1999-2004 was 
3.1 per cent, the same as the rate of demographic growth.  
14. The discussant concurred with the analysis by the representative of Guinea regarding the 
external factors – the deterioration in the terms of  trade and the energy crisis – which as of 2002 had 
sparked off the serious economic crisis that still af fected Guinea.  Faced with this situation, the 
Guinean authorities had embarked upon an economic recovery process and had introduced adjustment 
programmes intended to remedy the economic imbala nces and foster growth (in particular, through 
the adoption of a new policy for managing government  finance, the installation of new equipment for 
thermal power plants and drilling, etc.)  
15. Economic activity was mainly in the informal s ector (agriculture and trade), which narrowed 
the tax base.  The modern sector included industria l mining, agri-food companies, electricity and 
water, construction and public works and financial se rvices.  With the exception of the mining sector, 
there was little interest on the part of foreign invest ors.  The authorities should persevere in order to 
reach their objectives. 
(ii) Trade policy 
16. Since the last review of its trade policy, Guin ea had enhanced its trade regime as a result of 
the 2005 tariff reform, and the level of tariff prot ection had fallen from an average of 16.65 per cent 
applied in 1998 to 14.9 per cent in 2005.   The disc ussant also drew attention to the reforms in the 
exporting enterprises regime (on which he would like to have further details),  and in the government 
procurement regime aimed at improving governance (noting the policy giving preference to Guinean 
companies and the recruitment of Guinean labour).  
17. The majority of Guinea's 200 standards were  voluntary, but those that were mandatory 
(coffee, cement, wood, paints and varnishes, and ro ofing sheets) had not been notified to the WTO.  
It should be emphasized that Guinea was requesting technical assistance for notifications in general 
and for the implementation of the WTO Agreements on Technical Barriers to Trade and Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary Measures. 
18. Substantial progress has been made at the institu tional level of trade policy, in particular 
through the creation of a National Committee for In ternational Negotiations, an interministerial body 
responsible for Guinea's active participation in the WTO since 2003 and for following-up the trade 
components of the ECOWAS and ACP-EU Agreements.  Building the capacity of members of this 
Committee was also one of the Guin ean authorities' priorities for trade-related assistance provided by 
the WTO. 
19. At the bilateral level, Guinea had an agre ement with Morocco, which was reciprocally 
preferential.  Guinea was eligible for the non-r eciprocal trade preferences under the GSP and/or 
LDC schemes of several Members of the WTO, th e Cotonou Agreement with the EU, and the United 
States African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). WT/TPR/M/153 
Page 6  
 
 20. Guinea hoped to promote new products on forei gn markets for which it had considerable 
potential, as rapid growth in exports was one of the objectives in the PRSP.  Guinea’s aim was to 
enhance its reputation abroad by promoting the quality of its products and cont inuing to harmonize its 
national regulations with the rules of the WTO. 
(iii) Sectoral policies 
21. Guinea had agricultural potential and farmers made up 62 per cent of the labour force.  
Development of the agricultural sector was a priority  in the PRSP adopted by Guinea, together with 
food security and meeting national requirements for rice, the basic foodstuff.  The Government had 
therefore continued to implement its wide-ra nging programme to develop and modernize the 
agricultural sector, with private sector participation and the support of its ma jor development partners. 
22. Restructuring of the cotton subsector had give n producers more support and had helped to 
double production between 1999 and 2002.  The coffee- cocoa subsector was also being reorganized.  
Morocco had a preference for imports of Guin ean coffee under the agreement signed in 1997. 
23. With regard to fisheries, Guinea's objectiv e was to help to achieve food security by 
encouraging local capacity for the exploitation of  fisheries resources and the installation of new 
fisheries infrastructures, both small-scale and industrial. 
24. The basic industrial fabric is composed of companies producing for the local market, 
protected by a number of tariff and non-tariff measur es.  The Government's report explained that the 
Government wished to boost the industrializati on programme, giving priority to private economic 
operators. 
25. In the transport sector, Guinea had undertak en specific commitments under the General 
Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS).  The main  objective, as underlined in the Government's 
report, was to improve transport conditions in general.  WT/TPR/M/153 
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 IV. STATEMENTS BY MEMBERS 
26. The representative of Japan  drew attention to his country's active participation in African 
development through the Tokyo International C onference on African Development (TICAD).  The 
year 2005 – the "Year of Africa" – provided the occasion for Japan's adoption of a development aid 
policy for the period 2005-2008, whose budget was doubl e that of the preceding policy.  Japan had 
also given bilateral aid (grants to underpin Guinea’ s plan of action for universal access to primary 
education, establishment of basic water supply infr astructures, promotion of the fisheries sector). 
27. Guinea was going through a difficult period as regards the achievement of the development 
objectives set in the PRSP.  It had natural resour ces such as bauxite, gold, iron, and diamonds, and the 
conditions were favourable for development of  the agricultural sector.  The promotion of 
liberalization measures in the services sector, particularly for tourism, transport, telecommunications, 
and financial services, would reinforce the basic infrastructures and the economy's competitiveness.  
Japan was confident that Guinea would overcome the current economic difficulties. 
28. Japan noted with satisfaction the improvement in  Guinea's trade policy since the first review 
in 1999, in particular, the tariff reform.  Some i ssues still remained, however, for example:  (i) the 
600 lines whose applied tariffs exceeded the bound rates;  (ii) fiscal incentives under the exporting 
enterprises regime;  (iii) the problem of protecting in tellectual property rights;  and (iv) the problem of 
implementing the WTO Agreements, particul arly the Customs Valuation Agreement. 
29. Japan hoped that Guinea would continue to play an active role in the WTO and that it would 
manage to achieve viable and sustainable growth. 
30. The representative of the European Union  (EU) noted the long-standing relations between the 
EU and Guinea, which was one of the EU’s  main cooperation partners as far as investment and trade 
were concerned.  The EU also encouraged strengt hening of the links with Guinea through bi-regional 
cooperation 
31. It was Guinea's objective to overcome the econom ic crisis affecting the country and the 
authorities had taken a number of measures to do so since 1999.  The EU noted with satisfaction the 
domestic reforms recently adopted, particularly those relating to gove rnment procurement in order to 
improve governance, the adoption of a law on compe tition, and the tariff reform.  Ongoing efforts by 
Guinea were, however, essential, especially with rega rd to trade facilitation and the consolidation of 
markets for goods and services through keener compe tition.  The EU encouraged Guinea also to 
pursue its efforts to align its customs tariff w ith the ECOWAS common external tariff (CET). 
32. Economic recovery depended on Guinea's efforts,  sustained by the global economic situation.  
As the following example showed, the areas to be ta rgeted were precisely those covered by the Doha 
Development Agenda (DDA), which would support Guinea's efforts.  Trade-related technical 
assistance was essential to allow Guinea to derive  full benefit from the advantages offered by the 
WTO.  Trade, however, remained the main engine of growth and an appropr iate national context was 
essential in order to make it one of the principa l cornerstones of a national development strategy. 
33. Liberalization of bilateral and re gional trade could play a major role in promoting prosperity, 
as could be seen from the process launched by the ECOWAS, to which Guinea belonged, and was even more important when it cove red all products and was fully impl emented.  Regional and bilateral 
agreements could not, however, replace multilateral agreements, nor the benefits yielded by more 
stringent rules and the opening up of markets decided at the multilateral level on the basis of a global 
approach, taking into account the interests of all members of the trading system. WT/TPR/M/153 
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 34. The EU welcomed the measures taken by Guinea to boost its development.  There could be 
little doubt that they would bear fruit, particularly if  Guinea continued to adhere wholeheartedly to the 
WTO system and to participate fully in its deve lopment.  Multilateralism was the surest way of 
protecting the interests of LDCs as well. 
35. The representative of the United States
 drew attention to the excellent and fruitful economic 
relations between his country and Guinea.  American companies ha d invested heavily in Guinea's 
mining sector and bilateral trade was growing rapi dly.  In 2004, the United States had imported 
US$64 million worth of products of Guinean orig in, while American companies had exported 
US$59 million of goods to Guinea.  The United Stat es granted duty-free entry to a range of products 
of Guinean origin under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). 
36. Guinea had a wealth of natural resources and enormous economic potential, but also had to 
face formidable political, social and economic challenges.  The United States acknowledged the 
efforts made by the authorities and the Guinean  people to develop thei r economy, to overcome 
external shocks, and to encourage stability in a re gion of the world that had seen great upheavals in 
recent years.  The United States recognized the ge nerosity of Guinea in welcoming thousands of 
refugees from the West African subregion.  
37. Despite those adverse conditions, Guinea had launched important reforms in order to 
strengthen its regulatory and lega l framework for private transactions, enhance the mining sector's 
contribution to the domestic economy, alleviate poverty, and promote the development of other 
sectors (agriculture, fisheries, small-scale productio n, transport and tourism).  As regards trade, 
attention should be drawn to the abolition of preship ment inspection, the tariff reform, and the greater 
transparency in government procurement procedures.  
38. The United States would like to receive further details on the following areas:  (i) the reforms 
which the authorities currently viewed as priorities in order to enhance the environment for business 
and investment;  (ii) customs reform (customs valua tion, other duties and taxes, and the application of 
tariff exemptions in certain sectors);  (iii) de facto   monopolies of imports of rice, sugar and flour, 
whose existence was noted in the Secretariat’s report;  and (iv) protection of intellectual property, an 
essential prerequisite for investment, and bringing th e relevant Guinean regime into line with the 
obligations under the TRIPS Agreement.  
39. The United States welcomed the measures taken by  Guinea to liberalize the financial services 
sector.  More generally, the services sector offered great potential for boosting growth in Africa.  The 
United States would like, in particular, to receive  more information on the authorities' objectives in 
the area of transport and tourism.  Guinea was en couraged to increase its GATS commitments, in 
particular, by acceding to the protocols on financial services and telecommunications.  
40. The United States wished to see the good trad e relations with Guinea continue and the 
achievement of Guinea's development objectives.  A Guinean proverb said "After the winter, spring 
will always come".  Before the next review, the United States hoped to see signs of growth, in 
general, but in particular in the agricultural, crafts and tourism sectors, in which Guinea had 
considerable potential.  
41. The representative of Canada  congratulated the Guinean authorities on the monetary and 
budgetary discipline adopted in 2005 and on the intro duction of certain key re forms (rationalization of 
Government spending, broadening of  the tax base, liberalization of exchange rates, the new banking 
law, restructuring of the public telecommunicati ons, water supply and electricity services, and the 
forthcoming privatization of a number of semi- public companies.  Much remained to be done, 
however, to integrate Guinea satisfactorily into the gl obal economy.  In this regard, Canada wished to 
draw the authorities' attention to the need for resolute and ongoing political will and redoubling of  WT/TPR/M/153 
 Page 9 
 
 
 efforts in that area, particularly  as regards lowering the cost of production factors, which constituted a 
real obstacle to the economy's competitiveness. The authorities should also deal with various aspects 
of the legal and regulatory framework for business and their implementation so as not to restrict 
investment, productivity and economic growth.  Corrup tion, in particular, was a factor whose cost 
jeopardized the free play of competition and dissuaded  investors.  Canada welcomed the adoption of a 
law against corruption in the near future and hoped th at the authorities would demonstrate their strong 
commitment in that regard.  Respect for contracts and a credible and indepe ndent legal system were 
the bases for trade and investment.  By failing to keep  them constantly in view, the authorities ran the 
risk of foregoing the benefits which foreign investment could bring to Guinea.  
42. The representative of Brazil  noted the considerable economic reform efforts made by the 
authorities since 1986.  Guinea nevertheless ha d had to face serious problems since 1999, 
compounded by a number of external shocks (deterio ration in the terms of trade, spending on security, 
and the burden of refugees).  For those reasons, it had not been possible to achieve the economic 
growth objectives set in the PR SP.  For several years, per capita GDP had not increased whereas 
inflation and the budgeta ry deficit had grown.  
43. Brazil encouraged Guinea to pursue its effo rts towards economic development and poverty 
reduction.  Brazil was well aware of the challenges facing developing countries, notably LDCs, in their efforts to achieve better integration into the global economy and the multilateral trading system 
in particular.  The WTO could play a key role  in ensuring that the multilateral rules boosted 
development.  Brazil hoped that the results of th e Doha negotiations would strengthen and support the 
efforts made by LDCs to boost economic growth  and development, including those by Guinea.  
44. The representative of the Republic of Korea
 drew attention to the economic recovery 
programme implemented since the appointment of th e Prime Minister in 2004 in order to stabilize the 
macroeconomic situation and boost economic growth.  Guinea ha d undertaken structural reforms, 
strengthened monetary and budgetary  discipline, broadened the tax base and liberalized the exchange 
regime.  
45. The Republic of Korea congratulated the aut horities on the efforts made with a view to 
enhancing the trade policy regime, notably by abol ishing preshipment inspection and through tariff 
reform.  Other reforms still had to be carried out , however, in particular, implementation of the 
Customs Valuation Agreement, a solution to the probl em of tariffs in excess of the bound rates for 
some 600 tariff lines, and greater transparency through compliance with the WTO obligations on 
notifications.  The Republic of Korea was aware of  the scope of the challenges facing Guinea, but 
believed that its efforts, unde rpinned by support from donors and in ternational organizations, would 
produce the expected result, namely, Guinea's closer  integration into the multilateral trading system.  
46. Bearing in mind Guinea's mineral wealth, such as bauxite, the mining sector was an important 
cornerstone of Guinea's economic development.  It was encouraging to note that exemptions given to 
the mining sector outside the legal framework had been eliminated, which would increase fiscal 
earnings and, consequently, support the authorities' efforts to promote the non-mining sector, 
regarding which the Republic of Korea w ould like to receive further details.  
47. The representative of Mauritius , speaking on behalf of the ACP Group, underlined the sterling 
efforts made by the authorities to improve the c ountry's socio-economic situation since the first 
review of Guinea’s trade policy in 1999.  Guin ea had restructured its economy, mainly through 
privatization and by enhancing the administrative and legal frameworks.  The aim of Guinea's policy 
was to create new opportunities for the poor, accelerate economic growth, provide access to basic 
social services and develop human resources, as shown by the implementation of the PRSP since 2002.  WT/TPR/M/153 
Page 10  
 
 48. The representative drew attention to the efforts made by the authorities to enhance the trade 
policy regime, particularly the tariff reform and th e introduction of measures to promote the export of 
agricultural and fisheries products, crafts and pro ducts of the non-mining sector.  Guinea had also 
adopted an Investment Code to protect the rights of investors and the repatriation of profits in order to 
encourage foreign direct investment.  
49. Despite the efforts made, Guinea was facing larg e debts, rising inflation, a low level of 
foreign direct investment and insufficient revenue  because of a narrow tax base.  Several external 
factors such as the deterioration in the terms of trade had added to Guinea's economic difficulties.  
Although there had been trade liberalization and ec onomic reform, Guinea also had to meet the many 
challenges arising from trade liberalization at the global level, namely, erosion of preferences, lack of 
capacity to meet demand, technical barriers to trade, decreasing competitiveness and market access 
constraints.  Guinea would therefore need trade -related technical assistance, together with support 
from the international community in the area of market access, as well as an increased flow of 
investment and transfer of technology, particularly in the agricultural sector.  The investment proposed by Global Alumina in the bauxite sector, the largest investment to date, was encouraging.  
Guinea also needed to benefit from th e debt reduction initiative of the G8.  
50. The representative of Mauritania
 noted the efforts made by Guinea since 1986 in relation to 
structural adjustment and the adoption of the PRSP in 2002.  Nevertheless, in the early part of the present decade, Guinea found itself facing constraints a nd problems of external origin that led to a 
serious deterioration in the major macroeconomic balances.  In order to overcome the difficult situation, since 2002, the authorities had been engage d in an economic recovery process, but had been 
unable to resolve the crisis totally.  
51. Overcoming the crisis remained the authorities' ma in goal.  Accordingly, they had introduced 
development programmes prepared with the assist ance of Guinea's partners.  Guinea was also 
continuing to strengthen its participation in the re gional economic integration organizations to which 
it belonged, notably, the ECOWAS, the Mano River Union and the Organization for the Development 
of the Senegal River (OMVS).  Those efforts s hould receive greater support from the international 
community.  
52. The DTIS conducted under the Integrated Fr amework had identified the many constraints 
facing Guinea.  The authorities were responsible for eliminating many of those, but others required 
the support and assistance of the international commun ity.  Without such support, Guinea would find 
it difficult to reach the objectives set in its PRSP.  It  would also lend greater weight to the legitimacy 
of the multilateral trading system and the WTO in particular.  
53. The representative of Morocco
 drew attention to the special and trusting relationship that 
existed between his country and Guinea at all le vels.  Morocco welcomed the significant progress 
made in projects carried out in a number of areas,  as well as the cooperation made possible through 
the regular meetings of the Joint Cooperation Co mmission established by the two countries under the 
1997 Trade and Tariff Agreement.  The Agreement provided for total exemption from customs duties 
and taxes having equivalent eff ect for products originating in or coming from the two countries.  
54. Guinea had made considerable efforts in relatio n to structural adjustment since the first 
review, including the introduction of  a poverty reduction strategy.  Ne vertheless, it was still facing a 
serious economic crisis which the authorities were committed to resolving.  More efforts and more 
effective measures were needed.  
55. The PRSP gave trade a role as one of the major factors for growth, with a view to lessening 
the importance of the informal sector, boosting fa ir competition and promoting exports by the non-
mining sectors.  Among the basic concepts was reha bilitation of the domestic market, continuing the  WT/TPR/M/153 
 Page 11 
 
 
 process of bringing Guinea's legislation into line  with the WTO's rules and principles, increasing 
exports at a rate of 15 to 20 per cent over the coming five years and improving the operation of trade-
related legal mechanisms.  Privati zation also had a role to play.  
56. The representative of Burkina Faso , speaking as a member of the ECOWAS, underlined his 
country's support for Guinea.  The latter had made c onsiderable efforts to revive its economy, but as 
an LDC it was facing formidable problems.  His country hoped that the international community 
would give Guinea the support it needed.  
57. The representative of Benin , also speaking as a member of the ECOWAS, drew attention to 
the support given to Guinea by his country.  Guin ea had made considerable efforts to boost its 
economic development, ensure the well-being of its population, combat poverty and become more 
closely integrated into international trade. It offered substantial economic and commercial 
opportunities, not only in the agricultural sector but al so in industry and trade.   Wide-ranging reforms 
had been undertaken to improve the framework fo r Guinean and foreign operators and make it more 
attractive and to ensure the competitiveness of  Guinea's economy, with the upgrading of the 
accompanying structures.  Some examples were the tariff reform, the budgetary reform, the revision 
of the government procurement regime, the increase d density of mobile telephony, the opening up of 
the banking sector, and the restructuring of the co tton subsector.  As a producer and exporter of 
cotton, Benin was aware of the problems encounter ed by Guinea in that respect because of the 
distortions in international trade in cotton.  Benin hoped that Guinea would receive the necessary 
support from the international community.  
58. The representative of Senegal  noted the courageous policy adopted by Guinea to liberalize 
and adjust its economy, in cooperation with de velopment partners, which made possible an 
improvement in its economic situation.  The Gu inean authorities had taken certain measures to 
improve the political and economic climate by intens ifying dialogue, implementing appropriate fiscal 
and budgetary policies and improving governance.  Gu inea had potential in agriculture, mining, agri-
industry, fisheries, tourism, and hydraulic pow er, which aroused hopes regarding the country's 
development prospects.  The representative of Guin ea had reaffirmed the intention to support the 
liberalization process and to promote investment so as to enable the private sector to make a decisive 
contribution to the growth of the Guinean economy.  His country hoped that Guinea would receive the 
necessary support from the international community.  
59. The representative of Côte d’Ivoire  congratulated the Guinean delegation on the economic 
and commercial progress made since the first review of  its trade policy in 1999, despite the difficult 
internal and external conditions affecting the count ry.  His country was certain that the measures 
taken and those planned would allow Guinea to re gain its place among the first rank of the ECOWAS, 
Africa and the world.  He endorsed in particular  the valid decision to tackle the problems of 
agricultural development, especially cotton for expor t and rice for food security, and to find a lasting 
solution to the predominance of the informal sector.  
60. The representative of the Republic of Guinea  thanked the various speakers for their 
contributions to the discussion.  They were an encouragement to Guinea to pursue its efforts to 
liberalize and modernize its economy so as to derive  full benefit from the opportunities afforded by 
the multilateral trading system.  Dynamic trade coul d be an effective path to economic growth and 
poverty reduction.  Her Government was also aware of  the importance of internal reform, not leaving 
aside any important area, including good governan ce, an objective towards which her Government 
was striving.  The Integrated Framework was a tool  for achieving the objectives set in the PRSP and 
for making trade a real means of growth.  WT/TPR/M/153 
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 V. REPLIES BY THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF GUINEA AND 
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS 
61. The representative of the Republic of Guinea
 indicated that the written replies to the questions 
raised by WTO Members had been transmitted to th e WTO Secretariat and were available to all 
Members.  Her delegation had not had time to provi de written replies to some questions because of 
communications problems with the capital but the replies would be sent to the WTO Secretariat 
within a short time.  
62. She had paid particular attention to the ques tions raised by a number of delegations with 
regard to governance and the investment environmen t and had shared them with other members of her 
Government.  There could be little doubt that when Guinea next appeared before the TPRB, many of 
the obstacles hindering the promotion of investme nt and transparency with a view to economic 
liberalization would have been removed.  Guinea w as ready to make a strenuous effort to become 
integrated into the global economy, notably that of the subregion, a market in which Guinea had 
considerable comparative advantages compared with other countries in the subregion.  In order to 
promote this subregional integration, the Guinean Government had adopted a number of reforms and 
measures since 2003, including the following:  (i) harmonization of Guinea's customs tariffs with 
those of the WAEMU with a view to the ECOWAS common external tariff in 2008;  (ii) the removal 
of all the road blocs that had been set up betw een 2000 and 2003 because of the unstable security 
situation in Guinea at the time, but which constitute d an obstacle to the free movement of goods and 
persons;  (iii) participation in the creation of a seco nd monetary zone in West Africa with a view to 
the ECOWAS single currency;  (iv) the granting of  facilities such as the special transit regime, port 
concessions, the creation of dry ports, etc., for some  of Guinea's land-locked neighbours such as Mali;  
(v) the abolition of preshipment inspection for impor ts into Guinea;  and (vi) use of the transaction 
value by the customs in the near future, at the latest in 2006.  
63. The implementation of the WTO Customs Valu ation Agreement had been delayed by the 
economic problems experienced by Guinea and by  the additional work imposed on the customs 
service, already under-equipped, as a result of the abolition of preshipment inspection.  The problem 
would be resolved in part by a grant from th e EU, for which the agreement had been signed on 
Wednesday, 12 October 2005.  Using the grant, the Guinean customs computer service would move to the ASYCUDA ++ system.  Guinea  wished to thank the EU for its support for the Integrated 
Framework programme for Guinea, as well as ot her partners, including UNCTAD and UNDP, which 
provided technical and financial support for the pr eparation and implementation of the Guinea’s  
national strategy to promote quality and standards, another important aspect in the matrix for action 
under the Integrated Framework.  Guinea also wish ed to thank the Government of Japan for its 
support for Guinea’s efforts under the Integrated Fr amework process, as well as all the international 
agencies partners in the Integrated Framework and the donors to the Trust Fund.  
64. Guinea was encouraged to continue building its  capacity for supplying international markets 
and enhancing the effectiveness of its participation in multilateral trade negotiations.  It would pursue 
its efforts in that respect and in other areas, in cluding modernization of the exercise of commercial 
professions and promotion of exports in order to enab le Guinea's trade sector  to make an effective 
contribution to the national poverty reduction strate gy.  Other LDCs were encouraged to commit 
themselves to the process, in which national invol vement was a key element for success.  Members in 
a position to do so and the donor community were ca lled on to show greater commitment and provide 
more support to the Integrated Framework mechanism,  which would give effect to the ambitions of 
the LDCs included in the Doha Development Agenda .  The review had been extremely useful and 
Guinea would be in a position to present even better results at the next review of its trade policy in six years.   WT/TPR/M/153 
 Page 13 
 
 
 65. The Chairperson  thanked the Minister for her statement and for the interest she had shown in 
the review.  The two reports would be extremely va luable and important resources and useful to all 
Members.  The process of preparing reports at the national level was extremely valuable for a 
thorough re-assessment at the national and interministe rial levels, for discussion, and for all Members, 
from the smallest to the largest.  On behalf of a ll Members, he thanked Japan and the EU for their 
technical assistance, which benefited all Members.  
66. The representative of the European Union , joined by other delegations, thanked the Guinean 
delegation for its replies to the questions.  In the replies, he had noted some encouraging elements, 
particularly the recent conclusion of the agreement between the EU and Guinea on trade facilitation.  
The project would enable many customs-related pr oblems to be resolved.  The Guinean delegation's 
replies regarding competition showed considerable awareness in that regard, which augured well for 
the work to be done to resolve the problems.  Hi s delegation had sent a number of questions to the 
delegation of Guinea and some replies were miss ing, but he welcomed the Guinean authorities' 
assurance that replies would be give n subsequently in another document.  
67. The representative of the United States  noted the positive statements by the Minister, 
particularly with regard to the usefulness of the review for Guinea, the importance of trade and good 
governance in promoting sustainable and lasting gr owth, as well as the Guin ean Government's clear 
determination to overcome the obstacles that still existed.  
68. His delegation wished to raise a question con cerning tariff exemptions which, according to 
the report of the Secretariat, could be quite extensiv e.  Exemptions could be an extremely useful tool 
in attracting investment and promoting trade, but they had to be applied fairly, non-discriminatorily 
and transparently.  The report of the Secretariat not ed the efforts made by th e Guinean Government to 
return to what might be termed legal tariff exemp tions.  His delegation would like further information 
regarding the initiatives taken by the authorities and what had been done in that respect.  
69. The representative of Canada  underlined his delegation's interest in the replies to the 
questions, particularly with regard  to intellectual property protection.  
70. The representative of the Republic of Guinea  responded to questions on tariff exemptions, 
which fell into two categories:  (i) exemptions  stemming from the tariff reform introduced, which 
were time-bound and would disappear;  and (ii) exem ptions granted to companies in areas that had 
special features, for example, the mining sector.  Th e authorities considered that the latter attracted 
investment in a key sector, but for some time had been  considering how to curb those benefits so that 
they did not distort competition.  Following the cr eation of a department responsible for economic 
monitoring, studies had been conducted of all cases indi cative of corruption or lack of transparency 
and of the application of exemptions in such a wa y as to discourage competition.  Measures would be 
taken in the near future to allow Guinea to exert more effective control over those aspects.  
71. The discussant  thanked the Guinean delegation for the clarifications provided in response to 
written questions submitted by several delegations.  The large number of questions bore witness to the 
interest shown by WTO Members in Guinea and the hi gh quality of the replies was appreciated.  He 
wished to underline Guinea's commitment, thro ugh the implementation of its macroeconomic 
stabilization programme, to combating poverty, improving the situation of the population and 
maintaining a climate of peace and political stab ility, essential prerequisites for achieving economic 
and social development.  Many questions had been  raised, which showed that there was potential for 
diversification and a special interest in strengtheni ng multilateral trading relations with Guinea.  The 
Minister had called on all devel opment partners to continue providing, technical, financial and 
material support to Guinea so as to allow it to achieve the objectives set for its new trade policy very 
rapidly and it must be given a response.  WT/TPR/M/153 
Page 14  
 
 72. The representative of the Republic of Guinea
 thanked the Chair of the TPRB for his guidance 
of the debates.   WT/TPR/M/153 
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 VI. CONCLUDING REMARKS BY THE CHAIRPERSON 
73. This second Trade Policy Review of the Repub lic of Guinea has given us the opportunity 
to analyse the country's economic and trade develo pment over the past six years and to acquire a 
better understanding of the serious challenges in volved.  The delegation of Guinea, headed by 
HE Mrs Hadja Djènè Saran Camara, Minister for Tr ade, Industry and SMEs, was extremely helpful in 
this respect.  I would also like to thank Mr Farhan e for his very positive contribution, and all of the 
Member countries that contributed to the success of this Review. 
74. Given the difficult economic, social, and regional context that the country has had to contend 
with, Members commended Guinea for its effort to st rengthen its legal and re gulatory framework, and 
for its poverty reduction policy.  The new monetary a nd fiscal policies should help to control inflation 
and restore the macroeconomic stability needed to revive growth and to secu re the support of the 
international community.  Members also took note of  Guinea's exchange rate liberalization.  Certain 
speakers stressed that a new law on corruption sh ould contribute to improving governance which, we 
must remember, remains a major challenge. 
75. In the trade regulation area, Members appreciat ed the reforms leading to the unification of 
customs levies and to the elimination of preshipme nt inspection procedures, as well as the efforts to 
improve transparency in government procurement.  However, many of the applied duties exceed the 
bound rates, and tariff exemptions are common in certa in sectors.  Several par ticipants enquired about 
the implementation of the Customs Valuation Agreem ent, while others asked how Guinea intended to 
combat the massive imports of pirated goods. 
76. At the sectoral level, Members stressed Guinea' s wealth in natural resources and its economic 
potential, observing that several sectors, such as agriculture, mining, tourism, and transport, could 
contribute to the country's economic growth.  They encouraged Guinea to take on further 
commitments within the WTO, if only to make its legislative framework more predictable, thereby 
attracting investment. 
77. Members welcomed the replies given by the de legation of Guinea and looked forward with 
interest to receiving further information.  Many of them pointed to the importance of providing 
Guinea with technical, financial and material support. 
78. In conclusion, this meeting has enabled Memb ers to express their support for Guinea in the 
face of difficult economic and social circumstances.  Our discussions have convinced us that Guinea 
is sticking courageously to the path of reform, aw are that an open and transparent trade framework is 
the best way of boosting trade and hence supporti ng sustainable economic growth.  I fully associate 
myself with Members in encouraging Guinea to pur sue its macroeconomic and trade reforms, and 
I urge Members to support Guinea in this effort  by guaranteeing both assistance and improved access 
to their markets for its products and its service suppliers. 
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